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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Restaurants coming to Annandale: Menchie's fro yo, Paisano's Pizza

The interior of Buenos Grill.

Among restaurant changes happening in the Annandale: A new frozen
yogurt place is coming to Lincolnia soon (more on that below), we’re getting a
new pizza place, and the new Mexican restaurant that’s been under construction for months is expected to open next month.

The Pelican Seafood Restaurant, which just opened about six
months ago at 7327 Little River Turnpike will become a Paisano’s, a Northern
Virginia chain restaurant offering pizza, pasta, subs, salads, and wings. That site, next to Jerry’s Subs and Pizza, had long been a
Fannie May candy shop and was a meat store, before Pelican opened.

Pelican Seafood

Completion of the Buenos Grill Mexican restaurant on
Columbia Pike and Evergreen Lane has been stalled due to Dominion Power’s
delays in hooking up the underground power lines, says general manager Simon Yi. The power outages caused by storms this summer set Dominion back by about three months.

The earliest the restaurant could open would be the end of October,
he says. The exterior should be finished in about a week, and the signage
should be up shortly, too. The menu will feature typical Mexican fare, like
tacos, burritos, and nachos, as well as ceviche and wings, but there are no
details because a chef hasn’t been hired yet. An application has been submitted
for a permit to sell beer and wine.

Buenos Grill

There will be room for 60 diners inside plus 25 to 30
seats on the front patio. Customers will be able to order at the
counter from a digital menu posted on the wall. Orders will also be taken online
and via fax, and possibly from iPhones or iPads, Yi says.

Frozen treats from Menchie's

A branch of the Menchie’s self-serve frozen yogurt chain is
going into the former site of H&R Block in Pinecrest Plaza, 6550F Little
River Turnpike. The projected opening date is the end of October or beginning
of November, says the manager, Leigh Miller.

The shop will offer 21 different flavors (there
will be seven yogurt machines, each offering two flavors plus a twist in the
middle) and more than 40 different toppings, Miller says. The yogurt flavors range from
original tart to decadent flavors like mud pie, cake batter and dulce de leche.There are also sorbets, low carb, and no-sugar-added
option. The flavors and toppings will be rotated monthly.

The Menchie’s chain originated in Southern California, and
there are several franchises under construction in the Washington, D.C., area,
including one on Columbia Pike in the Penrose area of Arlington.

“Although we sell frozen yogurt, our goal at Menchie’s is to
make people smile. We want to ensure that all guests leave our store happier
than when they arrived,” Miller says. The chain is in the process of hiring
employees. Resumes should be sent to men151@menchies.com.

Seoul Soondae is moving to this shopping center.

In another restaurant change, Seoul Soondae, which
specializes in Korean blood sausages, is moving from its current location at
4231 Markham St. in Seoul Plaza to the small shopping center at 4220 Annandale
Road. That building, which has been vacant for years, was constructed on the
site of the former Annandale Surplus store.

The interior of the new Seoul Soondae restaurant is under
construction. The Annie Beauty School next door is already open and is advertising
$5.99 haircuts. On the other side, a shop called Erica Beautiful is under
construction.

Yes, and they are opening a pizza place next to Jerry's pizza and subs, with the new Little Caesar's across the street and another pizzeria in the Safeway shopping center. Guess there's a big pizza market here...

The smoothie place only has smoothies--they don't have any dairy (I asked if they could do milkshakes).

I think that Menchie's will do really well because there isn't a froyo or ice cream place in the area--other than Rita's (and no one I know wants to go there because of the horrible traffic in that intersection). Considering how many young families live in the area, plus all the TJ students who hang out in the Pinecrest Plaza, I think it's a great move.

I heard from a relyable source sunday that she saw sign on the building that said that the grill will be opening on the 29th of this month. My husband and myself are looking forward to trying it out.Karen Fleming

Jan. 16 - Annual Give Together, a family volunteer event on the Martin Luther King National Day of Service, Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, three shifts (9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.). Sign up with Volunteer Fairfax. 703-246-3828,